Excelsior Correspondent/PTI
JAMMU, Dec 26: A group of five Army commandos crossed the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector last evening in which three Pakistani soldiers including an officer were killed and smashed an enemy post, in a swift and daring operation. The Indian action was necessitated as there were reports that the Pakistani troops were planning “some kind of activity” on the Indian side using this post as a shield.
The operation, which brought back memories of last year’s surgical strikes, is seen as avenging the killing of four Indian Army personnel in heavy firing by Pakistani troops in Keri sector of Rajouri district on Saturday.
Army sources said the “small group” of ‘Ghatak’ commandos carried out a tactical level selective targeting of the Pakistani post around 200-300 meters across the LoC in Rukh Chakri area of Rawlakote sector opposite Poonch in which three Pakistani soldiers were killed and one was injured.
The operation began around 6 pm and the team returned to their camp within 45 minutes and none of them sustained any injury, they said.
The temporary post of the Pakistan army was put under extensive surveillance much before the operation was carried out on the instruction of the local commander of the Army unit.
On Saturday, Pakistan army had resorted to unprovoked firing on forward posts of the Indian troops killing four Indian Army personnel including a Major in Keri sector of Rajouri district.
Sources said Pakistani soldiers killed in the operation were from Pakistan Army’s Baluch Regiment and the temporary post targeted by the Indian Army was in an area which Pakistan calls Rukh Chakri sector.
They said there was no comparison between last year’s surgical strikes and yesterday’s operation. A small team of commandos was deployed with a very limited aim in yesterday’s operation.
There were reports that the number of casualty on the Pakistani side was four but Army sources maintained that three were killed and one was injured.
The Indian Army has been adopting a “tough” approach in dealing with ceasefire violations and terrorist activities in the last one year.
According to official figure, a total of 820 incidents of ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops were reported in the current year till today as against 221 last year.
A total of 61 Army personnel including three Garud commandos were killed in action in Jammu and Kashmir this year while the Army killed 210 terrorists in the same period.
Out of the total terrorists killed, 62 were killed along the Line of Control and 148 in the hinterland in the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
With two sniper shooters of Pakistan army eliminated in Nowshera sector on Sunday, Pakistan has suffered a total of five fatal casualties in retaliation by the Indian troops, after martyrdom of four soldiers including a Major in Keri sector of Rajouri district on Saturday.
Meanwhile, according to sources, people living along LoC in Nowshera and Poonch sectors were panicky as they feared that frustrated Pakistani troops might target innocent civilian population after suffering heavy losses at the hands of Indian Army.
However, Army was maintaining high alert all along the LoC in twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri to thwart any kind of firing and shelling by the Pakistani troops.
Sources said Pakistan raised the issue of the strike by the Indian soldiers during the weekly talks between the two armies over the hot line.
A Brigadier from the Indian Army and a Colonel-rank officer from Pakistan talked about the situation along the LoC during the telephonic conversation.
Follow our WhatsApp channel